


A Place to Stay

by KnightDawn



Series: Blood of the Covenant [9]
Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II, Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening
Genre: Anders (Dragon Age) Has a Cat, Anders (Dragon Age) Positive, BUT NATE HELPS HIM, Bipolar Anders (Dragon Age), Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Healer Anders (Dragon Age), M/M, Nate and Anders settle down and ARE HAPPY, Nathaniel pov, Post DA2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-15
Updated: 2020-02-15
Packaged: 2021-02-27 18:55:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22740604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KnightDawn/pseuds/KnightDawn
Summary: “I think I do want to stay here, love. I’m sick of all this walking, and… the people here are nice.”And just like that, the dream that had seemed such a long ways off was well within their reach.(Written for the 14 Days of Dragon Age Lovers - Day 3: Bow & Arrow)
Relationships: Anders/Nathaniel Howe
Series: Blood of the Covenant [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1947613
Comments: 7
Kudos: 27





	A Place to Stay

Mornings were Nathaniel’s favorite time of day. Specifically, he loved the quiet moments just before dawn, when everything in the world was either settling down or just starting to stir. Once, he’d taken the dawn shift at the Vigil just to witness these moments every day, and his body was still accustomed to it - even though it had been more than six years since he’d officially done any Warden business.

Anders had never liked rising so early, and most mornings these days he was still sound asleep when Nathaniel woke up. It was always difficult to untangle himself from Anders and their cat without disturbing either of them, so most mornings he didn’t bother trying to get up immediately. He was content to watch the mage sleep and listen to the Madame’s purr.

Settling down like this had been good for them. It had only been a few months, but Anders was already looking much better than he had during their five years of wandering the wilds together. Nathaniel was glad the mage had decided to keep the short beard he’d grown out. It filled his face out nicely, hid some of the residual hollow-ness still present in his cheeks.

Anders had not taken care of himself in Kirkwall. That was the first thing Nathaniel had noticed, when the mage had shown up with Hawke and her other friends to rescue him from the Deep Roads - he’d been so gaunt and haggard, with dark shadows all around his eyes. But he’d had little reason to care, apparently, until Nathaniel had shown up at the Gallows and given him one.

_“You still have me, Anders. I’m staying - and don’t you dare try to talk me out of it.”_

The road they walked had not been an easy one, not by a long shot, but Nathaniel had no regrets about having chosen the hard path.

It was worth it.

The first several weeks had been the hardest ones to get through - Anders had more bad days than good ones, then, and he was sick all the time. The doom-and-gloom attitude had not been good for either of them, and they’d argued constantly about every little thing… but Nathaniel had been just as stubborn as Anders, and he refused to let him wither away.

He’d started brewing Anders a herbal tea blend he’d picked up from Velanna - an old Dailish recipe mostly consisting of mint, elfroot, and embrium. That had helped fend off the general malaise the mage had been struggling with, and as he started eating and sleeping better his moods improved as he got his health back.

They had more good days than bad ones, now.

As the sunbeams started to creep in through the cracks in the shutters and curtains, Madame de Fur made a soft noise and arched up in a long stretch. Then she was padding her way across Nathaniel’s back to perch on his shoulder, one dainty paw patting at his face. “Mrreow?”

“Yes, Madame, I’ll fetch your breakfast. Just give me one more moment, please.”

She swatted again, her white-mittened paw soft against his bearded cheek. Anders laughed quietly, still half-asleep. “Don’t keep the lady waiting, love. She seems peckish this morning.”

With only a bit more grumbling, Nathaniel got up and poured Vivienne some milk - while Anders cut her some fresh catmint. She purred fiercely as she darted between their feet. “I assume this means we remain in good standing, Vivienne?”

“I can’t believe you’ve actually started talking to my cat.”

“I think she is determined to be _our_ cat, Anders.” He said, smiling as he reached down to scratch at the white diamond of fluff beneath her chin. “She follows me into the woods, sometimes. She’s quite a good little hunter.”

“Maybe we should get her a little bow and arrow, then? To match yours?” Anders grinned as he turned to face Nathaniel. “Maker, that sounds like something Merrill would have said. I didn’t think I’d spent _that_ much time around her.”

Nathaniel just quirked an eyebrow up. “Wouldn’t Madame de Fur need a staff, anyway? I mean, if she’s anything like her namesake...”

“Andraste’s flaming breath, Howe - you… you did not just...” Anders was giggling too hard to speak properly, and Nathaniel took that opportunity to lean in and kiss him. He was still breathless when he whispered, “I love you,” and Nathaniel desperately wanted to keep him that way for a good part of the morning.

Fate, though, had other plans. They both heard the frantic foot-falls long before a child’s voice piped up from outside - “Messare! Messare, are you home? I’m sorry to bother you so early but… Ma said to fetch you! Baby’s coming!”

Anders sighed a little bit, patting Nathaniel’s shoulder. “Third baby always comes quick,” he mused. “Help me fetch my things?”

“Of course,” Nate said, shaking his head as he grinned sheepishly. “Don’t I always?”

The trek to the farmstead was a quick one, luckily, but Nathaniel still made sure to bring his weapons with him. Anders had a staff that resembled a walking stick as well, but he had to be extremely careful. The villagers probably assumed the healer was a mage, but… it was in their best interests to pretend otherwise.

While Anders settled in to help Tessa with the baby, Nathaniel found himself tasked with keeping her boys out of trouble. The younger brother was trying hard to keep up with the older one as they ran around, whacking each other with sticks.

 _Thwack._ Nate winced a bit as he watched the older boy double over, remembering how much even a wooden sword could hurt. His own brother had always been ruthless, aiming for shins and ribs and even his face when it was within reach. Nate’s nose was still a little crooked, thanks to one such incident.

Much to Nathaniel’s surprise, though, Tessa’s younger boy dropped his sword and started crying and apologizing. Despite being the injured party, the elder child rushed over to hush him, still hobbling a bit as he rubbed his leg. “It’s okay - it’ll bruise, but… it’s okay.”

Making amends had never been so easy for the Howe siblings - but Nathaniel had never considered his family a good example when it came to such things.

The next few hours went without further incident, and it was barely midday when a piercing wail cut through the air. Both boys ran up to the house and the archer followed them, raising his eyebrows as Anders emerged - but despite looking a bit tired the healer was all smiles.

“Well, boys - you have a new little sister! Give your mother some space for a bit, alright? I’ll be back around to check on things later.”

It didn’t escape Nathaniel’s notice that the mage was holding a little basket now, and he grinned as they started to head back home. Anders still refused to accept coin for his services, but the people here were stubborn about making sure they paid him somehow.

“Let me guess… food?”

“Mmhm. There’s bread here, and Tess made sure to give us some potatoes and jerky as well - oh, and jam! Wow, she was generous.”

Five months ago, they had only planned to pass through this area. There had been a fierce storm that day, though, and they’d happened to cross paths with a little family who were struggling - a falling tree had spooked their horse and made their wagon veer off-road, popping one of the wheels clean off.

Nate and Anders had rushed to help, of course - Nathaniel calmed the horse while Anders set about helping the husband lift the wagon enough to get the wheel back on. It had taken some work, and everyone was covered in mud by the time they got the wagon rolling again… but the family had offered to let them stay at their farm that night, an offer that was too good to pass up.

Of course, when Arthur and Tess found out they were a healer and a ranger who had been aimlessly wandering the world, they were quick to offer them a more permanent place in the village. “It’s been tough, since the old healer died a few months ago. We get by, but… There’s always a need for men like you. At least _consider_ it.”

Nate had expected the answer to be no, of course, but Anders had just looked at Tessa and smiled - and later on, after they’d settled into the makeshift bedding they’d been supplied Anders was the one who turned to him first.

“I think I do want to stay here, love. I’m sick of all this walking, and… the people here are nice.”

And just like that, the dream that had seemed such a long ways off was well within their reach. In the morning, Arthur showed them the little cottage where the previous healer had lived until she died - and as soon as Nathaniel spied the black-and-white cat sleeping on it’s porch he knew the answer Anders was going to give.

“Oh wow, this is… perfect.”

“Just let us know if you need anything.”

It hadn’t taken long for them to settle in and make the place their own - draping curtains up to divide up the space in ways that suited them, hanging herbs from the rafters, giving Nate’s weapons a place to rest.

Coming back from delivering Tessa’s new daughter, Nathaniel smiled as he set his bow down by the bed. He was able to make a very hearty stew with the things they had been given, the sweet smell of carrots and rosemary mingling with the scents of the other herbs that were hanging from the rafters. Vivi was quite content, too, especially since Anders had slipped her some little bits of jerky. Nate might have complained about him spoiling the cat, once, but all he could do was smile as he watched her lick at her dainty little toes.

It was nice, to finally have a place that felt like _home._

**Author's Note:**

> This was actually really hard to pull together. I was originally going to set this prompt's fic immidiately post-Gallows but Anders was a BIG MESS and that emotional state was not something I felt up to writing right this moment. So have fluff instead. Fluff is nice.
> 
> While trying to come up with a name Anders could believably give to a cat because I honestly doubt he’d keep naming every single one “Ser Pounce” my brain supplied “Madame de Fur” and I could not stop laughing at the thought of Anders naming a cat after VIVIENNE so that happened. He took one look at her and was like "You are a MADAME" and it stuck. (I imagine her as a tuxedo cat with a little diamond of white fluff on her chest and white-mittened toes, but otherwise solid black fur.) 
> 
> Also it was impossible to work in easily with it being Nate's POV but he's also getting a little bit of grey around his temples so Anders jokes that he matches Vivi sometimes.
> 
> EDIT: I forgot to mention, this is a sequel to ["Wild Highever Roses"](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22530721) even though that fic focuses more on Nate's feelings about my female Cousland than his budding relationship with Anders but I consider it part of my over-arching Nanders canon.


End file.
